| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 572 737 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
23.11.1994 Bulletin 1994/47 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
08.12.1993 Bulletin 1993/49 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 02.12.1992 |
|
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| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
04.06.1992 JP 170270/92
|
| (71) |
Applicant: THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MICROBIAL DISEASES OF OSAKA UNIVERSITY |
|
Suita-shi,
Osaka 565 (JP) |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
|
- Saito, Atsushi
Mitoyo-gun,
Kagawa-ken (JP)
- Sinagawa, Hideo
Suita-shi,
Osaka (JP)
- Nakata, Atsuo
Toyonaka-shi,
Osaka (JP)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Blake, John Henry Francis et al |
|
BROOKES AND MARTIN
High Holborn House
52/54 High Holborn
London WC1V 6SE
London WC1V 6SE (GB) |
|
| |
|
| (54) |
HIV Gag-env fusion antigen |
(57) Disclosed is a substantially pure HIV antigen comprising a Gag-Env fusion protein
consisting of a Gag peptide fused at its C-terminus to an Env peptide, wherein the
Gag peptide comprises a contiguous sequence of at least ten amino acids of the amino
acid sequence represented by Gag (308-437) and the Env peptide comprises a contiguous
sequence of at least a part of the amino acid sequence represented by Env (512-699),
the part containing at least one epitope which is reactive to an HIV antibody. The
gag-
env fusion DNA corresponding to the HIV antigen of the present invention allows the production
of the desired high antigenicity HIV antigen in high yield. Therefore, the HIV antigen
of the present invention can be advantageously used as an active component for a diagnostic
reagent, a vaccine, an antibody preparation and a therapeutic reagent for AIDS. Also
disclosed is a substantially pure HIV antigen comprising a Gag protein coded for by
the entire gag gene.